Catalogue of Magical Moonshine Theatre
School Programs for 2007-08 Season
Catalogue of Magical Moonshine Theatre
School Programs for 2007-08 Season
Magical Moonshine Theatre has over 28 years of experience in presenting assembly programs in California schools, in addition to mainstage performances coast to coast in the US and in 18 countries around the world. Recipients of numerous awards and honors for their original plays for youth, the company is know for consistent excellence and reliability. Educators routinely refer to MMT productions as the best they have seen. When you get a MMT assembly you are getting the original founders and creative artists performing for your students, with over 50 years combined experience. For more information about any of our programs or to secure a date, contact Magical Moonshine Theatre at 707-363-4573 or send us an email.
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR SCHOOL
PROGRAMMERS:
Length and Age
Appropriateness: All Magical
Moonshine Theatre assembly programs run between 45-50 minutes
long. All are suitable for K-6, some are suitable for pre-k, and
some for middle and high school ages.
.................."Fresh, clever dialogue, moves along.... Positively continue offering this show to Junior High." teacher, eighth grade
Technical needs vary somewhat, according to the show performed, but all
are designed to be technically simple and versatile to ensure
success in a variety of school performance settings. We bring
staging, curtains, lights, sound equipment in addition to the
production, so that we can create a theater atmosphere even in a
bare multipurpose room or gymnasium. If your school has a stage,
we will generally adapt to perform on your stage, and if your
school does not have a suitable indoor space we do have programs
and outdoor staging that may allow us to perform outdoors at the
school (this will vary and should be discussed with us to help us
find the best program for your conditions.)
................."Wow!! What a Great show! I especially enjoyed the use of English and Spanish. The singing was superb and the story line engaging at all times. The folktale led us to a discussion about human rights, oppression and greed." teacher, second grade
Accessibility:
Many of our performances are
multicultural and some are bilingual (Spanish/English) and some
are not language dependent. Special needs students routinely
watch and enjoy our programs.
..................Absolutely great! The children were entranced! Music, puppets, staging, singing, performance, all were great! We especially enjoyed the way the two languages were inter-mixed to tell the story in such an effective way. Five Stars!" teacher, first grade
Pricing for
Assemblies: Our school fees may
vary, depending on distance and situation, but are based upon a
standard fee of $550.00 for a single assembly program and $865.00
for a double program (two programs back to back). In certain
areas we have funding support (call for info about your area) and
in some areas more distant from us we may need a tour including
several schools or venues in order to offer the standard fee.
Pricing for public shows, fund raisers, etc. Please note that our
school assembly prices are substantially discounted from our
standard public show fees which range from $1200.00-1400.00. For
qualifying schools interested in using a Magical Moonshine
Theatre program as a fundraiser we have a special program called
“Puppet Fridays” which combines assembly programs with
a public show at a very substantial discount that allows your
school to possibly cover all of the Magical Moonshine Theatre fee
and make money for other programs or activities as well (see
Puppet Fridays, page 6 for more information.)
................."This is an exceptional group. My class was entertained with the story and songs. We loved it! It fits in perfectly with our study of folktales." teacher, fourth grade
Teacher Support and
Frameworks: Magical Moonshine
Theatre has extensive teacher curriculum support for before and
after the performance, including activities based on the
California Frameworks and Standards as well as many creative
projects for students of all ages, all included with our assembly
packages.
Animal Folktales of the Americas
Note to school programmers: Our award winning Animal
Folktales of the Americas is a constantly growing series of
programs as opposed to a single title. A school assembly program
generally consists of one or two titles as some titles are about
20-25 minutes long, and others 45-50 minutes. Two shorter titles
are usually paired to create a 45-50 minute program, although 30
minute programs are available for younger audiences.
Animal Folktales of the Americas, Series Description: The oral traditions and literature of North, South, and
Central America are rich with humorous and instructive stories
about our furred, feathered, and scaled neighbors. "Animal
Folktales of the Americas" is a celebration of the cultural
richness that we enjoy on our two American continents.
Using original, large scale puppets, masks and live music and
song, the internationally known Magical Moonshine Theatre
presents an ever growing collection of original dramas based on
traditional folktales which may include anything from a story
from the Andes Mountains about how the fox and the condor brought
food to the earth, a tale from the Bering Strait area about a fox
and caribou who decide to exchange legs, a Native American story
about Coyote, Mountain Ram and Grizzly Bear, some of the exploits
of Br'er Rabbit, a tale of an Armadillo family, to a Mexican
version of Aesop's Fables.
In addition to the dramatics and staging unique to the puppet and
mask theatre, the stories are enriched with live music played on
instruments ranging from the modern to the ancient; from the
accordion to the traditional charango and zamponia from Peru, the
American banjo, and the Native American drums and flute.
Animalitos (the little animals)- -A collection
of Aesop's fables woven together in a magical puppet dance. A
rabbit starts a race with a tortoise, but seeing that he has
plenty of time, he wanders off, and gets involved with a fox who
is trying to court a crane with a romantic dinner for two. With
some clever tricks they manage to get some food to serve but
things go awry when the fox talks the rabbit into being the
waiter for the meal. Meanwhile the tortoise is getting closer and
closer to the finish line.....
The Armadillo's Rancho- This story from
Argentina tells of a wealthy Fox who tries to take advantage of a
poor Armadillo, making her work his garden for him. He thinks he
is getting the best part of the deal, but the Armadillo is
smarter than he is at every turn and in the end succeeds in
setting things right once and for all.
The Fox and Elk Make a Trade- -In this story a
fox and elk decide that they are not happy with the way they are
made, so they decide to switch arms and legs with each other. The
fox, now with very long arms and legs, finds that she can no
longer hunt, and is in danger of starving. The elk with the short
fox arms and legs can not reach the leaves on the trees that he
is used to eating. Both finally realize that they were much
better off the way they were originally and in the end exchange
arms and legs again, happy to have their old limbs back. The
story is humorously set to music reminiscent of pop tunes of the
‘50s.
The Fox and the Condor- In this mythological
story from South America, there is little food on the earth while
in the clouds the birds have much food. The Condor, the king of
the birds takes pity on a hungry fox and carries him up to the
clouds to eat, but the greedy fox does not stop eating until he
falls from the cloud and his belly bursts open, spreading seeds
all over the earth. It is these seeds from which the plants on
earth have descended (so the tale tells us.)
Coyote and Grizzly Bear- Native Americans of the Western
part of this continent tell many stories about the trickster,
Coyote. In this story from the plains states, Coyote plays a
trick on the ungrateful Grizzly Bear, thus saving the life of
Mountain Ram. Although p resented as a Native American folktale
here, the theme of this story is universal, and appears in tales
from many cultures around the world. This folktale is told with
masks and Native American flute and drum.
Coyote Sings- In the Native American story,
Coyote Sings, the crazy buffoon, Coyote tries desperately to
learn a song. This combined with his bungling attempts to hunt
for food and impress all his neighbors with his personal skills
make for hilarious slapstick. Southwest motifs and designs and
Mexican folk tunes make this bilingual show a very popular
addition.
Br'er Rabbit and the Number Nine Shoes-In this
African American trickster tale, the clever Br'er Rabbit plays a
trick on Br'er Bear, and steals his fish from him. Br'er Fox
watches the whole trick, but when he tries it himself his efforts
end in disaster. Once again Br'er Rabbit survives by relying on
his wits. The story is told with large, direct-manipulation
puppets, live banjo music and singing.
Brer Rabbit and the Goober Patch-Another trickster, Brer Rabbit comes to us from Africa, but has settled right in to American Folklore. In this puppet tale, Brer (short for Brother) Fox decides to plant a garden, and Br'er Rabbit decides to help himself. The fox decides to set a trap for the rabbit but Brer Rabbit is one rabbit who can take care of himself, and Br'er Fox does not end up with the prey that he bargained for.
The Jaguar's Fountain- In
the rain forests of South America all living things sing in
harmony with each other. But then the chords of disharmony sound
as drought descends upon the land. The greedy Jaguar proceeds to
force the smaller and weaker animals to dig a we ll. Soon there
is water again in the rain forest and it is controlled by the
Jaguar. But there is one animal in the forest who will stand up
to the Jaguar. He is the Rabbit. Armed only with his humor and
wits, he alone dares to challenge the Jaguar and his henchmen
until justice prevails and the balance of nature is restored. In
The Jaguar's Fountain the puppets and scenery have their own
musical sounds created by a variety of hand crafted
non-traditional as well as traditional instruments.
Does That Scare You?- a Southeast Asian Folktale from
the Hmong people. -Long ago a wise, old man lived with a Bear, a
Tiger and a Dragon. One day the animals all set out to try to
scare one another by seeing who could make the greatest
commotion. When the man finally took his turn, he used his brains
to teach th e others a lesson. He scared the animals so badly
that bears, tigers and dragons will no longer live with people.
The story is presented with shadow puppets, masks, and live music
played on a variety of SE Asian musical instruments.
Coyote Brings Fire to the People- It is told
that long ago when the earth was new, the people of California
were cold because they did not have fire. They went to Coyote for
help and he organized Bear, Mountain Lion, Rabbit, Squirrel, and
Frog to help steal fire for the people. Magical Moonshine Theatre
presents this native Californian folktale with shadow puppets and
music.
Other Productions:
Shipwrecked! The Adventures of Miss Robin Crusoe
In this literature inspired adventure tale, Robin Crusoe (the
niece of the famous Robinson Crusoe) is shipwrecked on a deserted
island and must survive using her wits. Armed only with a few
washed up parts of her ship and what she can find on the island,
she manages to use basic mechanical skills to hoist her ship up
from the ocean floor and save herself and her new mischievous
monkey friend from the island before the volcano blows or pirates
return. This humorous, edge of the seat adventure story
demonstrates the virtues of bravery again all odds as well as the
knowledge of some useful mechanical skills and devices. This is
science and literature bound together in a whopping good musical
yarn with a surprise ending (not to mention the beautiful textile
scenery by California artist Meri Vahl)!
Take
a virtual tour of this beautiful show: CLICK HERE.
The Recycling Show - Educational and
entertaining, this show demonstrates the whys, wheres and hows of
recycling using puppets and actors. Done in three parts, the play
begins with a puppet skit on garbage and how it can mount up over
the years. Part two allows our puppet with the waste problem to
go back in time and start over, learning to recycle (with help
from the students in the audience). Our “recycologist”
and the puppet analyze a bag of garbage, sorting into
recyclables, compostables, etc. In the third part of the show the
puppet (and audience) get to play the Recycling Game Show where
they demonstrate (and reinforce) their knowledge of waste and
recycling.
Other School Programs
Puppet Fridays!
For a more
detailed description of this program and how it works, CLICK
HERE.
Arts Programs and Funding For Your School
With 25 years of direct observation of performance trends in
California schools it is clear to us that assembly performances
in California elementary schools have dropped dramatically in the
last two years. Many studies have shown that arts exposure in
schools increases test scores and develops important neural
pathways in the developing child. More important is the quality
of life and enrichment that students gain from arts exposure.
There is no question that the economy and school’s budgetary
difficulties are making it harder for schools to supply this
essential aspect of their students education. To this end we are
starting a new program to help bring arts to your school while
helping you build community and raise funds for future programs.
Puppet Fridays! is a program that combines Magical Moonshine
assembly programs in the school with an evening fundraising
performance to raise money for your school’s arts programs.
This can be a very successful strategy for building support
within your parent/teacher community as well as immediately
getting arts into the school. (One very successful example:
Magical Moonshine programs have helped Main St. Elementary in
Soquel raise funds for assemblies as well as hire a music teacher
for the whole year.)
How would it work: While various arrangements are possible, the recommended
model would be one of having a double MMTheatre assembly program
during school time and then a different program for families that
evening as a fundraiser for the school. Magical Moonshine Theatre
would waive our usual fee of $1200.00 for the evening, instead
splitting the funds raised with the school in an all-win strategy
that pays us something
for our evening show and helps the school make money to pay for
in-school programs. In addition, refreshment sales, grants,
raffles, and program ads can be incorporated to create more
community support for school arts programs. This program will, of
course, work best with a group of dedicated volunteers from the
school to work with MMT to arrange the fund-raising portion of
the program, but once in place, this is a model that can be
repeated to become a regular part of the school community,
raising funds and bringing in artists throughout the year.
For more information on Puppet Fridays! and to see how this
program could work for your school please contact Magical
Moonshine Theatre.
ISS - Inspiring Student Stories
Magical Moonshine Theatre’s ISS
-a writing inspiration program for 3-6 graders
Inspiring Student Stories
For a more detailed
webpage on this exciting program CLICK HERE.
Note to schools: This program has two levels of
participation:
1. Full participation (see full description below) which includes
the ISS in class workshops, and consideration of and production
of some of your students writings as a Magical Moonshine Theatre
ISS Production, to be performed at your school at the culmination
of the program.
2. Assembly-only participation- In this version you can have the
assembly performance of student stories (from other schools)
presented at your school with teachers’ materials to
encourage and inspire student writings, but this does not include
the in class workshops and the consideration of your students
writings for production.
What is ISS?
ISS (Inspiring Student Stories) is a writing inspiration program
developed by Michael and Valerie Nelson of Magical Moonshine
Theatre in conjunction with Chuck Neidhoefer and Julie Herdell
(principals of Northwood and Westpark Elementaries of Napa
County) with input from teachers and staff. The program’s
purpose is to encourage creative writing in elementary aged
students and provide inspiration, especially for those who may
find writing challenging or initially unappealing.
How does ISS work?
While there is flexibility for participating schools, the core
program consists of Michael and Valerie meeting with students in
their classrooms in a performance/workshop setting to introduce
the program and the principles of exciting story writing. Then,
over a period of weeks students work with their teachers and on
their own to write and then refine their stories. The stories are
then read and a number of them are selected based on various
criteria to be produced into a Magical Moonshine Theatre
production. The program culminates for the year with a
performance by Magical Moonshine of the student works at the
participating schools. The exciting possibility of having
one’s own writing being produced as a puppet play serves as
inspiration for student writers.
ISS
combines in-class instruction, student writing and professional
puppet theatre to inspire student writing.
The ISS Program for 2005-06:
Meeting 1: Michael and Valerie visit classrooms with a 60 minute
program that introduces ISS, exciting students about the
possibility of having their work produced as a puppet play.
Several short oral stories (some with ‘missing’
elements) and puppet plays introduce story structure in an
informative and entertaining way, combining performance with
student discussion.
(During the week or weeks following, students begin work on
writing their stories. These can be part of the Framework writing
curriculum already planned for the year.)
Meeting 2: Michael and Valerie visit classrooms with a 60 minute
program on rewriting and refining student stories. Elements of
plot, continuity and communicating with your reader/audience are
stressed in a performance/discussion format.
(Following meeting 2 rewrites and revisions are completed.)
Stories are collected and the selection process begins. Stories
are chosen to be considered for actual production into the puppet
play (Michael and Valerie will make final determination.) It will
take a month or more for the stories to be adapted to theatre,
the puppets and sets to be build and the play rehearsed.
The culmination of the program is the performance (by Magical
Moonshine) at your school of the plays written by the students.
In this beautiful and lyrical student story Peter and Katie can not find the stars until the city lights go out.